CHINA CONTINUES PUSH FOR GAZA CEASEFIRE

By Tham Choy Lin

BEIJING, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- China said Tuesday its top leadership and
special envoy to the Middle East were working to push for an immediate ceasefire
in violence-wrecked Gaza and a peaceful settlement of the Palestine-Israel
conflict.

President Hu Jintao and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi had raised the issue in
telephone calls with their United States counterparts, Foreign Ministry
spokesman Qin Gang said.

China's special envoy to the Middle East, Ambassador Sun Bigan, had also
been meeting diplomats from "relevant parties" in Beijing to appeal for a halt
to the military operations to avoid more civilian casualties, the spokesman told
a regular news briefing.

"We will work with the relevant parties to promote firstly, a cease-fire to
the armed conflict, and ease the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

"Only on this basis, can the relevant parties resume talks and seek a
political solution," said Qin.

China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council which had
failed to agree on a statement on the deadly conflict despite hundreds of
deaths and injured, because of US opposition.

China last week said it was providing US$1 million in humanitarian
assistance to Palestinian authorities to buy essential supplies for their
people.
-- BERNAMA